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Understanding Online Pharmacies & Medication
If you’ve ever stopped taking medication because it was too expensive or rationed doses to save money, you’re not alone. The US’s astronomical cost of prescription drugs has led to an inaccessible and unaffordable healthcare situation for many Americans. To put this into context, nearly onethird of Americans have admitted to avoiding filling their prescriptions due to the cost1. It’s a frustrating situation, especially for those with high-deductible health plans or no insurance.
While this situation improves, many Americans have found a cost-effective solution north of the border. Canadian pharmacies offer safe and effective prescription medications at a price point that’s 50-90% lower than in the US2. But while the prospect of affordable medication is appealing, ordering from an online Canadian pharmacy can be confusing and intimidating.
Canada Drug Warehouse was founded on the belief that medication should be available to everyone. It’s our mission to provide you with access to brand-name and generic medications in an affordable, safe, and convenient way.
Purchasing prescription medications for importation from licensed and certified online Canadian pharmacies is safe and easy. Annually, Americans receive over one million prescriptions from online Canadian pharmacies. For decades, FDA guidance has helped people safely import medications.
Canada Drug Warehouse is an online pharmacy referral service that connects you to licensed Canadian pharmacies and international fulfillment centers. We source medication from around the world to bring you the most affordable prescription drugs.
For years, Canada Drug Warehouse has been the trusted source for safe and affordable prescription medications for thousands of Americans.
Don’t just take our word for it, listen to what our customers are saying about us; Canadian Drug Warehouse video reviews.
... nearly 1/3 of Americans have admitted to avoiding filling their prescriptions due to the cost.1
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Canadian pharmacies offer safe & effective
prescription medications at a price point that’s 5090% lower than in the US
THE MEDICATION APPROVAL PROCESS: CANADA VS. US
When it comes to healthcare, a regulated pharmaceutical sector is crucial. Fortunately, Canada and the US have strict policies to ensure all medications are safe and effective for public use. This section will walk you through the medication approval process in these neighboring countries.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for drug approval in the US. All medications must undergo a five-step process that evaluates a drug’s safety, effectiveness, and quality.3
Similarly, in Canada, all medications must pass Health Canada’s approval process before they are available for public use. During this process, scientists in the Health and Food
Branch (HPFB) of Health Canada review the safety, effectiveness, and quality of prescription and over-the-counter medications.4
In both countries, medications must undergo rigorous testing and clinical trials to ensure they are safe for public use and effective in executing their claims. Because of this thorough process, consumers can rest assured that medications from both Canada and US are of the highest quality and safe for use. While the medication packaging may look different, the medication from both countries is safe and effective.
ARE ONLINE CANADIAN PHARMACIES SAFE?
Not all online Canadian pharmacies are safe.
Like any healthcare service, it’s essential to ensure the pharmacy you want to use is certified by a regulatory body. This organization is called the Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) for online Canadian pharmacies.
CIPA-verified pharmacies must abide by strict rules that ensure the online Canadian pharmacy is safe and legal.5 If an online pharmacy has a valid CIPA seal, you can rest assured the medications you receive will be safe and effective. In fact, since its establishment in 2002, CIPA has maintained a 100% safety record.6
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The safety of the CIPA seal was verified in a study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research.7 Researchers collected more than 300 samples of brand-name medication from both CIPA-approved pharmacies and US pharmacies. These samples were then tested to ensure they were authentic and safe. At the end of the study, the researchers concluded that medications from both sources were safe, and the CIPA-approved pharmacies provided a 54.8% lower price point than US pharmacies.8
Currently, only 49 online Canadian pharmacies are CIPA-approved.9 However, some rogue pharmacies falsely claim to be CIPA certified by placing the CIPA seal on their website. Fortunately, it’s easy to verify whether a pharmacy is indeed CIPA-approved using either of these two techniques:
1. Clicking on the CIPA seal will take you to a page on CIPA’s website indicating the pharmacy is approved.
2. CIPA lists all approved pharmacies on its website. You can access this list anytime if you need clarification on a pharmacy.
CIPA-approved pharmacies are not only safe and affordable, but they bring a new source of competition to the US pharmaceutical industry. By providing an alternate medication source that is just as safe and regulated as its US counterpart, the US pharmaceutical industry can finally experience market competition and lower its prices. Forbes explains this well in their article highlighting the legitimacy of CIPA-approved pharmacies and their importance in reducing future prescription prices in the US.
REGULATORY BODIES
When purchasing medications online, ensuring you’re dealing with a legitimate and regulated pharmacy is important. However, navigating the world of regulatory bodies for online pharmacies can be confusing since the rules set forth by each organization can be vague and seem to conflict with each other.
By familiarizing yourself with the regulatory bodies, you can make informed decisions about your health. In this section, we’ll introduce the different or-
ganizations and explain how the rules work regarding online Canadian pharmacies.
CIPA - Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) is a Canadian association composed of licensed and regulated pharmacies. To be approved by CIPA, pharmacies must follow the same prescription process as the US and meet a list of strict rules that aim to protect patient safety. CIPA certified pharmacies have maintained a perfect safety record for more than 20 years since CIPA was founded.
IPABC - The International Pharmacy Association of British Columbia (IPABC) regulates licensed mail-order pharmacies in British Columbia, Canada. Its members are licensed by the BC College of Pharmacists and own real, brick-and-mortar pharmacies in Canada.
WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN LEGALLY?
Despite the FDA’s general disapproval of buying drugs from other countries, the institution isn’t unsympathetic. It recognizes that there are situations where buying drugs from other countries may be necessary.
These situations include, as quoted by the FDA:
• The drug is for use for a serious condition for which effective treatment is not available in the United States;
• There is no commercialization or promotion of the drug to U.S. residents;
• The drug is considered not to represent an unreasonable risk;
• The individual importing the drug verifies in writing that it is for his or her own use, and provides contact information for the doctor providing treatment or shows the product is for the continuation of treatment begun in a foreign country; and
• Generally, not more than a 3-month supply of the drug is imported.
So, as you can see, you’re still legally allowed to buy Canada drugs online. You just need to be aware of what the FDA will and will not accept.
The FDA also seems to be softening their stance on importation from Canada as evidenced by their recent authorization of Florida’s Drug Importation Program
So, what does this mean for you?
Legally, you can get medications from online Canadian pharmacies if it’s less than a 90-day supply and is for personal use only.
Regarding medication safety, you can ensure the medication is safe and effective by ordering from a CIPA-approved pharmacy.
1 Lunna Lopes et al., “Public Opinion on Prescription Drugs and Their Prices” (Kaiser Family Foundation, October 20, 2022), https://www.kff.org/health-costs/poll-finding/public-opinion-on-prescription-drugs-and-their-prices/.
2 BrandPoint. “New Survey: Americans Cut Prescription Costs by Ordering from Canada.” Daily Local, August 19, 2021. https://www.dailylocal.com/2021/03/07/new-survey-americans-cut-prescription-costs-by-ordering-from-canada/amp/.
3 Food and Drug Administration, “The Drug Development Process” (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, January 4, 2018) https://www.fda.gov/patients/learn-about-drug-and-device-approvals/drug-development-process.
4 Government of Canada, “How Drugs Are Reviewed in Canada” (Government of Canada, February 12, 2015), https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/drug-products/factsheets/drugs-reviewed-canada.html.
5 “CIPA Membership: Licensed and Regulated.” Canadian International Pharmacy Association, n.d. https://www.cipa.com/cipa-membership.
6 “CIPA Membership: Licensed and Regulated.” Canadian International Pharmacy Association, n.d. https://www.cipa.com/cipa-membership.
7 Roger Bate, Ginger Zhe Jin, and Aparna Mathur, “In Whom We Trust: The Role of Certification Agencies in Online Drug Markets,” NBER Working Paper Series, March 2012, https://doi.org/10 3386/ w17955
8 Roger Bate, Ginger Zhe Jin, and Aparna Mathur, “In Whom We Trust: The Role of Certification Agencies in Online Drug Markets,” NBER Working Paper Series, March 2012, https://doi.org/10 3386/ w17955
9 Canadian International Pharmacy Association, “Verify a Website: CIPA” (Canadian International Pharmacy Association, 2023), https://www.cipa.com/verify-a-website.
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CHOOSING A CANADIAN PHARMACY
When choosing a Canadian pharmacy, it is crucial to ensure it meets all the requirements and doesn't display any red flags (such as advertising “no prescription required”, providing controlled substances or not requiring any sort of medical history background check). For your convenience, we've included a list you can reference when choosing any pharmacy (whether it’s brick and mortar or online):
1. The pharmacy has trustworthy third-party certifications (at a minimum, it needs to be CIPA approved)
2. A licensed pharmacist is available to answer questions
3. Does not sell controlled substances
4. Maintains patient confidentiality
5. Asks for a valid prescription with a physician's signature
6. Asks for your medical history
7. Has filled many prescriptions
8. Customer reviews are positive
STEP ONE Search Your Medication
Search Canada Drug Warehouse to find your Medication and potential cost savings.
STEP TWO Order Online or by Phone
Create an account and place your oder online or over the phone at 1-877-204-1506.
ORDERING FROM A CANADIAN PHARMACY
How to place an order
Ordering from an online Canadian pharmacy may not be as intuitive as walking into your local pharmacy. However, it is still reasonably straightforward. We’ll break down the process into four easy steps:
1. Obtain a valid and updated prescription from your doctor
2. Email, fax, mail, or upload your prescription to the online pharmacy. Alternatively, you can also ask your doctor to send the prescription directly to the online pharmacy
3. Submit your medical history to the online pharmacy. This ensures the drug is safe for you to use and there are no contraindications
4. Place your order
These steps are further explained in our How To Order Guide.
MEDICATIONS: SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
While many medications are available from an online Canadian pharmacy, you may have noticed the absence of controlled substances and temperature-sensitive medications (like insulin).
STEP THREE
Prescription & Payment
Send us your prescription or contact us to help you obtain yours from your doctor or pharmacy.
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STEP FOUR
Delivered Fast to Your Door
Prescription drugs are delivered fast right to your home. Tracking numbers available upon request.
For controlled substances, the absence is easily explained: CIPA-certified pharmacies do not sell controlled medications.
Temperature-controlled medications (like insulin) may be offered in some online pharmacies and be noticeably absent in others. These medications might not be provided mainly due to a more complex shipping process. Temperature-controlled medications need to be shipped in refrigerated containers so they are safe and effective when they reach the US customer. If an online pharmacy offers a flat rate shipping fee, insulin may complicate this promise.
BRAND VS. GENERIC MEDICATIONS
Pharmaceutical drugs in America are among the most expensive in the world. So it’s no wonder that millions of Americans choose to buy generic medication, as it is typically cheaper than brand-name medication.
If you ask your doctor, they will say that there is no difference between generic and brand-name drugs, except perhaps the price. But is this true?
Let’s dive into the details.
What are brand-name drugs?
Brand-name drugs are medications developed, marketed,
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and sold by major companies that usually hold a patent for their newly-invented drug. For example, drug company Pfizer produced ibuprofen, which they brand-named Advil®.
Producing a drug requires a large amount of research, time, and money. Major pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly claims that the cost of developing a new medicine is $2.6 billion on average and that this process takes an average of 10 years
Because brands hold a patent for their drug for a limited time, you may have known some medications only by their brand names. Common over-the-counter brand-name medications include TYLENOL®, Pepto-Bismol®, and Robitussin®. Common prescription drug brand names include JARDIANCE®, VIAGRA®, and ADVAIR®.
What are generic drugs?
Generic drugs use the same active ingredients as brandname ones and work the same way, so they have the same risks and benefits as brand-name drugs.
Giving a company the exclusive right to market and sell that drug under a brand name helps the company recoup its costs. Being the sole producer allows the company to set its own prices and profit from the sale. This is what a drug patent grants
This exclusivity, however, does not last forever. According to the FDA, anyone can make the drug once a drug patent expires. When the drug patent for Advil® ended, multiple companies began to produce and sell ibuprofen, also known as the generic version of Advil®.
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A. Why are generic drugs cheaper?
Firstly, generic drugs are cheaper because the companies producing them do not have to repeat animal and human studies that the original company did to get their drug approved. In other words, companies that manufacture the generic drug can bypass much of the up-front research costs associated with making a brand new drug.
Multiple companies making the same generic drug promotes market competition and a significant reduction in pricing. The most significant drop in pricing occurs when a second company produces the generic drug. The pricing may continue to drop, giving patients cheaper drugs as time goes on.
Generic drugs use the same active ingredients as brand-name ones and work the same way...
B. Why do generic drugs look different?
Because of trademark laws, generic drugs cannot look exactly like other medications. As long as the safety and efficacy of a drug remains the same, a generic drug is allowed to appear in a different color or to produce a different flavor. The following is a sample of some medications Canada Drug Warehouse carries in both brand and generic:
Dexilant (Dexlansoprazole) Asacol (Mesalamine) Xifaxan (Rifaximin) Eliquis (Apixaban) Xarelto (Rivaroxaban)
FINAL THOUGHTS
Ordering prescription medications from Canada is a safe and cost-effective solution for many Americans. However, before ordering, it’s crucial to do your research and ensure the pharmacy is regulated and reputable. If you are unsure about the regulatory status of any pharmacy, both CIPA and IPABC provide a list of approved pharmacies that you can order from worry-free.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us or visit our FAQ page for more information.